Special Issues

Decisions, Decisions

May 28, 2008, 12:00 am

By

***image1***Don't call it a warm-up, because the June 3 primary election is anything but. True, the fate of the nation may not be decided until November, but in the meantime local voters have plenty of decisions to make. In fact, with nearly 30 candidates competing just in our neck of the woods, keeping up with this election cycle took some stamina (for the candidates, too).

First, some basics: To vote in New Mexico's primaries, you must be a registered Democrat or Republican, and you will only be able to vote for candidates running in your respective party. If you are registered to one of the state's minor parties (Green or Libertarian) or if you are an Independent voter, you'll have to wait until Nov. 4 to weigh in.

To make our endorsements for this election cycle, SFR invited candidates in contested races on Santa Fe ballots to our office for group endorsement interviews. There were a few exceptions. We did not interview the two Republicans competing for the US Senate nomination: Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce. Wilson declined an interview, and we had already had an extensive one with Pearce in February, which we used to help develop our ***image3***endorsement. Elizabeth "Dolly" Lujan in the District 4 County Commission race failed to appear for her endorsement interview, as did District 3 Public Regulation Commission candidate Arthur H Rodarte. All other candidates participated in the interviews.

We interview candidates as a group so that we can fairly compare and contrast them and give each equal talking time. Further, we believe if candidates have something to say about an opponent, it's better to have the opponent on hand to answer right then and there (and yes, there was plenty of that!).

We also administered our Pop Quiz series to the candidates to gauge their knowledge and openness on matters of public interest, attended numerous candidate forums and reviewed candidate positions papers, as well as their questionnaires from other newspapers and organizations. [Election '08: Pop Quiz Series] Phew! Told you this took stamina.

We hope you will find our endorsements for the 2008 primary election useful. Whether you take our voting recommendations or not, be assured that this election is just as important as the one coming around the bend. In 2009, New Mexicans will have an almost entirely new congressional delegation and Santa Feans will have fresh representation for everything from oil and gas drilling in the county to regional utility regulation. Can voters really make a difference in how these matters are handled? To steal-and paraphrase-a slogan from another candidate running for office: Yes you can.

-Julia Goldberg

For ongoing coverage of this political season, leading into the Nov. 4 general election, check out our blog: swingstateofmind.com

Voters can access information about their polling places and which voting districts they live in through the Secretary of State's VoterView online database: https://voterview.state.nm.us

Still not sure where to vote? Call the Santa Fe County Clerk's Office at 986-6280. Sample ballots, a list of all early voting sites and contact info for most county candidates can be found on the clerk's Web site: santafecounty.org/clerk

***image15***Seat: US Senatesenate.govSteve Pearcepeopleforpearce.com***image5***Republicans have a lot riding on this year's election. Let's break it down. There's this US Senate seat, held by US Sen. Pete Domenici since 1972. Then there are congressional districts 1 and 2, currently held by Wilson and Pearce, now up for grabs (we are not endorsing in those races, which mostly include communities outside of our coverage area). That means come November the GOP faces the possibility of losing some, if not all, of its power in New Mexico's congressional delegation.

Subsequently, Republicans need, in this primary, the candidate best positioned to run against US Rep. Tom Udall come November. Wilson's pluses are: 1. She's got a proven track record of winning against whatever Democrats throw at her; 2. She's likely to get lots of support from her mentor, Domenici, whose popularity in the state could garner Wilson some support; and 3. She really is, whether she likes it or not, less socially conservative than Pearce, which could make it easier for her to garner some crossover voters.

Pearce, on the other hand, may be less competitive in the north, but will likely be able to compete effectively against Udall in the southern part of the state, where he's been a representative since 2002. He's also more stringent on conservative ideological issues, such as stem cell research (he's adamantly opposed; Wilson has supported it). Pearce received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee.

As of press time, Pearce was leading Wilson in the polls for this primary, although Wilson has repeatedly proven she can come from behind and win. Udall was trumping both, although that margin will likely decrease once the GOP has a nominee. Our decision to endorse Pearce comes down to two factors. First, Pearce made himself very available earlier this year for an extensive interview (which can be read and viewed on our Web site at [sfreporter.com/articles/publish/cover-022008-elephant-warfare.php).

Wilson did not grant us an interview for that piece or for this edition. And while we would find it difficult to agree with any of Pearce's positions (anti-gay-marriage; pro-drilling, etc.), we think his willingness to talk to those whose opinions differ is an important quality for a public servant.

Finally, it remains to be seen what, if any, repercussions Wilson may face for her infamous phone call to former US Attorney David Iglesias. But, regardless, we believe her contact with Iglesias was inappropriate and a key event in the revelations about the terrible politicization of the US Department of Justice under the Bush administration. GOP voters should reject these actions as wrong, regardless of partisanship. Thus, we endorse Steve Pearce as Republicans' best choice to face Tom Udall in the fall.

At one of the forums for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District candidates, held at Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, the candidates were asked to introduce themselves. Benny Shendo Jr. was the fifth to speak, but the first to mention his vehement opposition to the war in Iraq as part of his opening statement. And, as he did, the audience erupted into applause and one man in the audience was heard saying: "Finally!"

Shendo did well that night, speaking forcefully against the war, elucidating his positions on a variety of issues with eloquent passion, garnering loud and sustained applause several times.

And then there was the other forum.

This one was in Farmington. At it, when the candidates were given the opportunity to ask one another questions, Shendo asked frontrunner Ben Ray Lujan how people could expect him to stand up for them when he couldn't stand up to his own parents about his "lifestyle."

The response has been a deafening rebuke to Shendo; from GLBT leaders like Linda Siegle (a Lujan supporter), from bloggers like Heath Haussamen, from commenters on local blogs and newspaper sites. And, of course, from Lujan himself and from fellow candidate Don Wiviott, running, according to a recent Albuquerque Journal poll, second in the race to Lujan.

We have spent the last week talking about this a lot as well. We spoke to one another almost incessantly, we spoke to people with dogs in the fight, as well as those who had been, until Farmington, undecided. We had a chat with the journalism ethics hotline run by the Poynter Institute about how to cover such a story.

But we find ourselves returning to that other forum, at Temple Beth Shalom, and to the candidate we saw there. And to the bigger issues at play in this election.

Six men are vying to replace Tom Udall in Congress. They will face a Republican and two Independents come November. None, really, have the kind of records, as elected officials, that we'd like to see in our next congressional representative.

Two of them, Lujan and Wiviott, are in the lead. Both Lujan and Wiviott sound good on the issues, whether it's the war in Iraq, gas prices, health care or the environment. But neither would be a frontrunner were it not for entrenched political connections or money, respectively. And, as it happens, we believe entrenched political connections and money are the root causes of everything currently wrong with our democracy. We believe entrenched political connections and money are why we are at war. We believe entrenched political connections and money are why thousands of New Mexicans don't have health insurance. We believe entrenched political connections and money are why we are paying almost $4 a gallon every time we put gas in our cars. We believe electing people based on their political connections and/or money is destroying our country.

To the best of our knowledge, the problems in our democracy are not as closely tied to a pervasive problem of politicians standing up and asking inappropriate questions. To the best of our knowledge, our democracy can withstand uncomfortable conversations. Perhaps it might even benefit from them.

Make no mistake. If we really believed Shendo was a homophobic candidate, we wouldn't, couldn't, endorse him. We are unable to endorse County Commissioner Harry Montoya, for example, because he does not support gay marriage or women's reproductive freedoms. Shendo clearly outlines his support for civil rights for all people, both in conversation and on his Web site's position papers. And while raising the topic of a candidate's sexual orientation was poor form, we don't think Shendo was trying to smear Lujan on the basis of sexual orientation, we think he was trying to smear him as being dishonest. It was a dumb move, but the furor is so intense, we can't help but think it also reflects just how uncomfortable society still is on the topic itself.

And to that end, we must note that none of the candidates used the opportunity to discuss their support for the GLBT community. Lujan issued a statement about his heterosexuality through a spokesperson, and Wiviott attacked Shendo and used the incident as an opportunity to send out a fundraising e-mail.

Finally, we are not just endorsing Shendo because he isn't part of a political machine or independently wealthy. We also believe his experience and background as a leader in tribal government, as a cabinet secretary, as a Kellogg Fellow who studied and worked internationally, is the most diverse of the group. We have heard him speak, and heard others speak of him. Before Farmington, he represented a viable choice in a race for those who wanted one. Now he seems flawed, which makes him yet another flawed candidate in a race of flawed candidates.

We like to be transparent in these endorsements, so here is some more candor. We very seriously considered endorsing Lujan. He has run a strong, positive race, is likeable, smart on the issues and, for what it's worth, likely to win. We will certainly take a second look at him, should he win, for our November endorsements. We were less impressed with the tactics and accessibility of Wiviott in this race, but we also know him to be a very smart and progressive thinker, and can think of worse fates than seeing him win this race.

But these final sentences are being written in the final days of the Memorial Day holiday. More than 4,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq, and all we can hope is that come 2009, we will elect a president and congressional representatives who will put a stop to this war. Benny Shendo was the first candidate who used his five opening minutes at a public forum to speak passionately against this war. And it is that statement, rather than the other, that has decided this endorsement.

***image15***Marco Gonzales

***image7***Republicans have their work cut out for them in this race; Republicans constitute only 29 percent registered voters in this district. Nonetheless, 10 years ago, Republican Bill Redmond captured this seat when Democratic voters, unhappy with their ballot choice, gave Carol Miller, then a Green, enough votes to tip the scale his way.

This year, Miller is back, as an Independent, and if the GOP is half as brutal to the Democratic nominee as the Dems have been to one another, we're in for quite for a spectacle. Whatever happens, Marco Gonzales represents the GOP's best chance at regaining this seat.

First, there's his endorsement by US Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, who remains popular and influential. Then, there's Gonzales' 10 years of Washington, DC, experience, which he will certainly be able to cite persuasively in this race, given the mass exodus of our congressional delegation. Gonzales can argue he's got a decade of learning the system, and will be able to compensate for the loss of experienced lawmakers.

And, Gonzales' northern New Mexico heritage and connections will, we believe, make him more competitive than his opponent, Rio Rancho construction firm owner Daniel East.

A graduate of Georgetown University Law School, Gonzales currently is a partner at the Modrall Sperling Law firm. He is a staunch pro-life candidate, which may help him draw Democratic voters who differ from their party on this issue. But he also is critical of the way in which the war in Iraq was executed under former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Gonzales emphasizes his top priorities are issues closer to home, such as securing the funding and continued mission of Los Alamos National Laboratory.

***image15***Seat: Public Regulation Commissionnmprc.state.nm.usDistrict 3 includes northeastern, north central and central New Mexico, including a large portion of Santa Fe and Rio Arriba, as well as Los Alamos and Taos.

***image8***Anyone who has paid an electric or phone bill lately understands the importance of the Public Regulation Commission. This five-member board is charged with regulating the utilities-electric and telephone-as well as overseeing the electric co-ops, corporation filings, insurance, pipeline safety and transportation. This is the body charged with overseeing the execution of the state's new renewable energy requirements, and ensuring that telcom infrastructure be provided to New Mexico's rural areas, among other things.

Ten years ago, many people were fed up with the politicization of the PRC's predecessor agencies: The State Corporation and Public Utility commissions. The former, an elected body, was seen as beholden to the utilities it regulated. The latter was viewed as a great spot for well-connected political appointees. And so, in 1996, voters voted to change the state constitution and abolish both boards and create the PRC. We believe many did so in the hopes of diminishing the political influence and starting fresh.

Laws barring political contributions from regulated industries to PRC commissioners and creating public financing for these positions helps. But it's not enough. The work of these commissioners is highly complex; the agency is a state agency relying on state funding to remain competent and well-staffed against the legions of utility lawyers ready to represent their clients.

There are six individuals vying for the $90,000-a-year job to represent New Mexicans on this seat; we believe the best choice is lawyer Bruce Throne.

Throne is, hands down, the most knowledgeable about the law and procedures that govern PRC cases. That's because he's been representing consumers in these cases for many decades. He worked as an assistant attorney general in the energy and utilities unit of the Attorney General's Office under then-Attorney General Jeff Bingaman. In private practice, he's represented small independent Internet service providers in front of the PRC in attempts to level the playing field for those businesses against Qwest, and he's challenged rate increases on behalf of consumers. He's seen firsthand the need for better funding of the PRC, and pledges to work hard to get that funding from the Legislature. Throne won't have to rely on over-taxed staff to explain cases to him; he won't be likely to be led astray by corporate lawyers.

We believe Throne's background and expertise make him a better choice for this seat than Española Mayor Joe Maestas and Santa Fe County Commissioner Paul Campos, although both also are strong candidates who we believe would make good commissioners. As for Rio Arriba County Assessor Arthur H Rodarte, former SCC Commissioner Louis Gallegos and Jerome Block Jr. (whose father served both on this board and the SCC), they all seem to have good intentions in this race, but none appear to have as strong a grasp on the issues as the other three in the race.

Throne-who is publicly funded in this race-has never run for public office before, but he has a record of serving public interests that trumps most politicians'. He thinks there should be minimal qualifications for PRC commissioners, and we agree. And if there were qualifications for this position, Throne would meet them. He will need a lot of support to triumph in this competitive race-give it to him.

The DA for the First Judicial District prosecutes crimes-mostly felonies-for the counties of Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba.

Angela "Spence" Pacheco

***image9***All three candidates in the race for district attorney are qualified to represent the First Judicial District.

Both AJ Salazar and Joseph Campbell currently work in the office, as chief deputy district attorney and deputy district attorney, respectively. Angela "Spence" Pacheco is the city attorney for Española and a former employee of the DA's office, as well.

Our interview topics with the three candidates included a discussion about victim services, the administrative needs of the department and the challenges faced when dealing with an area where crime often is linked to larger societal issues such as poverty and drug abuse. We discussed hate-crime laws, crimes against women and the prosecution of juveniles. In our interviews, we found all three to be both knowledgeable and practical regarding the interstices of crime and society. Salazar was particularly eloquent in discussing the ins and outs of the law and Campbell's statements to us about the need to improve the laws governing victim advocacy also were compelling.

But we believe Pacheco will usher in a new era at the district attorney's office, which has been basically under the same leadership for more than two decades (she also would be the first female DA for the jurisdiction). Both Salazar and Campbell are lawyers for the department under Henry Valdez, who has been DA since 1994, after serving as assistant DA under his predecessor, Chet Walter, who was DA for two terms.

Pacheco ran unsuccessfully against Valdez in 2000, after resigning as deputy district attorney. As she did eight years ago, Pacheco today raises concerns about the management of the office, and expresses a commitment to open government and transparency. She says the intake and screening of cases needs improvement and makes a strong argument that her varied experiences in government (Pacheco also served as assistant city attorney for Santa Fe), will put her in a position to view the office with fresh, but experienced, eyes. Of particular note are the 13 or so years Pacheco spent as a social worker prior to becoming a lawyer, such as her time as the executive director of an adolescent substance abuse program. So many of the crimes coming through the DA's Office are related to the drug and alcohol abuse prevalent in the north; we believe Pacheco is committed to not just prosecuting cases, but working with other agencies to address these root problems and to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. Finally, Pacheco is the only candidate who expressed reservations about seeking the death penalty.

Pacheco's combination of progressive thinking and experience will serve her-and the people-well.

***image10***We asked Board of County Commissioners candidates in districts 4 and 5 to speak to us on a wide variety of issues, including the hot-button concerns: the Buckman Direct Diversion Project and oil and gas drilling. While many candidates running for office this year emphasize the big picture, candidate Mark Marquez also drove home his belief that the county needs to focus on providing basic services to residents.

Both Marquez and opponent Kathy Holian, a retired physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, are excellent first-time candidates who, we believe, share many stances. Both expressed strong opposition to oil and gas drilling in the county. Both are committed to monitoring the concerns about St. Vincent Regional Medical Center following its merger with CHRISTUS Health. And both seem to understand that land and water issues continue to be the most pressing issues for county residents.

We think the county's governing board, like the city's, benefits from having diverse representation, people from different backgrounds-work and education-to create a body that speaks to the diversity of the community itself. Marquez is a member of the city's fire department, a US Army National Guard veteran, a former president of the Santa Fe firefighters union and currently serves on the Santa Fe Public Schools safety committee. Given the growth in the county, and the shortages and lapses already experienced by residents when it comes to law enforcement and emergency services, Marquez' knowledge and experience in this area will help the governing body. He also serves on the Extra-territorial Zoning Commission, and maintains the county needs to work with the city to update its codes to minimize the variances that have sometimes characterized county development, and to create sustainable growth. He also understands, firsthand, the economic realities of working class families in Santa Fe and, we believe, will be a strong advocate for them.

***image11***The concerns of Santa Fe County, from water planning to land use to transportation, don't exist in a vacuum. They are connected to city planning, to regional concerns, to federal funding. Of all the candidates, former state Sen. Liz Stefanics, who currently is the director of the state's Health Policy Commission, understands these connections and seems best situated to find solutions to the tough decisions the next four years will bring. She also has a proven track record as a progressive lawmaker and in the private sector as director of Open Hands.

We know Stefanics will prioritize constituent communication. Already, just as a candidate, she surveyed, by mail, voters in the district to learn about their concerns. We were impressed by her ideas for regional transportation, which include exploring successful programs from other communities, such as vouchers for low-income residents. She wants to improve the county's transparency, so that citizens are able to more easily access information about everything from property taxes to minutes of public meetings. She has served on the county's Open Space Commission, which helped the county steward one of our favorite programs to preserve open space and create public trails.

This is a crowded race, and we also think Stephen Wust is a great candidate. Wust is director of natural resources for the county, a small-business owner and past president for Eldorado's Community Improvement Association. He is particularly impressive in his knowledge about the ins and outs of oil and gas drilling, as he brings nearly two decades of environmental education and experience to the table; the county is lucky to have him on staff. But Stefanics edged out Wust in our deliberations because we think she has the right combination of leadership and legislative experience to hit the ground running in helping to elevate the BCC.

As for Ralph Jaramillo and Joe "Bubba" Auburg, they appear to have their hearts in the right places in this race. All the candidates understand the public's concerns about ensuring the county plan well, fight destructive development and make its operations as open to the public as possible. But neither Auburg nor Jaramillo seem as well versed on the devilish details that will make these objectives possible as their competitors do.

With two open seats this year (neither Jack Sullivan in this district, nor Paul Campos in District 4 are eligible to run due to term limits), county residents have the chance to shape a new board with energetic and knowledgeable leaders. We believe Stefanics in 5 and Marquez in 4 represent voters' best choices.

***image12***Before bedlam broke out in the 3rd Congressional District race, the two lower ballot contests for Santa Fe County looked like the most contentious of the season.

For the county clerk seat, incumbent Valerie Espinoza has been challenged by Gilbert Martinez, a retired PNM employee who also worked temporarily and briefly for the clerk's office under Espinoza. In a nutshell, Martinez believes the office is badly run and says he resigned after realizing the management "deficiencies." Espinoza, in turn, encouraged us to call Martinez' previous supervisor and implied Martinez would have been let go had he not resigned. Both claim the other is misrepresenting the situation.

While the divisiveness in this race was off-putting, we remain confidant in the workings of the clerk's office under Espinoza. While the office has a variety of duties relating to the recording of public documents-from mortgages to marriage certificates-overseeing local elections is certainly its most high-profile and, we'd argue, most important responsibility.

To this end, Espinoza has wisely put together a highly competent and experienced elections staff that has worked hard to both train poll workers and provide accurate and timely results in local elections. During her first term, Espinoza helped oversee the transition to paper ballots, brought polling places into compliance for access to the disabled community and also focused on updating county voter files. Her team has conducted voter drives to increase registration, and Espinoza worked at the Legislature to create a bill to allow teenagers to work as back-up poll workers in case of shortages. Espinoza also is one of the clerks who actively lobbied at the Roundhouse for sufficient funds for clerks around the state to have adequate money to maintain voting machines, and says she will do so again during the next sesion.

Martinez, on the other hand, was ready to discuss his criticisms of Espinoza, but appeared to lack real knowledge about elections; he appeared, for example, unfamiliar with the federal Help America Vote Act, a seminal law that was signed following the debacle of the 2000 election cycle.

Given the concerns that have surfaced during the last two election cycles about the integrity of elections, Santa Fe is lucky to have a strong elections office that works hard to both inform and help the public.

***image15***Seat: Santa Fe County Treasurersantafecounty.org/about_us/victor_montoya.phpDistrict 3 includes northeastern, north central and central New Mexico,
including a large portion of Santa Fe and Rio Arriba, as well as Los
Alamos and Taos.

Victor Montoya

***image13***The county treasurer's race is another contentious battle. It pits incumbent Victor Montoya against challenger Robert Rubin, a longtime title examiner for the state Taxation and Revenue Department's Property Tax Division, as well as a former accountant for the Santa Fe County Treasurer's Office. These two also were in the mix four years ago when Montoya, then deputy treasurer, won a four-way race to succeed Phil Trujillo.

We didn't endorse Montoya then, mostly because we were concerned about his promise to appoint Trujillo as his deputy, particularly given the theft and shenanigans that had, at the time, plagued the office.

This time around, Trujillo has retired and is backing Rubin. Montoya, for his part, has quietly cleaned up the once-scandal-ridden office. He has created several new programs he hopes to complete in a second term, such as working with the assessor's office on its computer-assisted appraisal system and the implementation of credit-card payments (hello 21st century). Montoya also worked with the Commission to enact an ordinance to stop the illegal moving of mobile homes without a permit from the treasurer's office.The county treasurer is responsible for sending out residents' tax bills, collecting money for the county and investing some of that money. Montoya has significantly greater knowledge and experience when it comes to this latter duty than Rubin, in part due to his several terms serving on the PERA board, currently as its chairman. As county treasurer, Montoya has created an investment committee to monitor the county's investments, and has increased its income through the office's investments.

Rubin emphasized problems he believes exist in the county's collection of delinquent taxes and his commitment to having an "open door" policy as treasurer. We do not think Rubin makes a convincing case to replace Montoya, who should be returned for a second term as county treasurer.